Board of Directors

Alma G. DavisFounder and CEO

Alma G. Davis, a world-renowned entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and visionary has emerged as a leader in the hearts of many through her desire and dedication to serving women and youth. As Founder/CEO of the Alma G. Davis Foundation, Ms. Davis has been able to strategically help victims and communities overcome domestic violence by providing year-round educational programming on the subject. Through its mission to “Educate, Empower and Celebrate survivors of domestic violence (E2C)”, the foundation has been able to offer survivors social services, pre-employment and work maturity skills, wellness education and financial development; giving them the necessary resources needed to transition into lives of independence.

Jamese BeaufordCountry Financial

Jamese Carey Beauford is a native of Atlanta and the Immediate Past President of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., Metropolitan Atlanta where she humbly served by leading the organization through a time where economic challenges and turmoil plagued young women and children. Her leadership led to the expansion of the financial literacy program that exposes domestic violence women survivors in shelters to financial tools and resources to improve their well-being. Jamese is a pioneer in the financial sector and takes pride in sharing her business acumen to serve others. She partnered with various organizations in the Clayton, Fayette, Dekalb, Clarke and Fulton counties through her profession as an Area Manager at SunTrust Bank for more than 15 years. By actively volunteering for the “Sisters Helping Sisters” project sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, she shared her knowledge and expertise with women who desired to learn and grow. Currently as an Agency Business Consultant at COUNTRY Financial, Jamese takes pride in influencing, empowering and impacting Financial Representatives as they begin their entrepreneurial journey as insurance agency owners in the Metro Atlanta markets.

Stephanie CouserMutual of Omaha Bank

Stephanie Couser is Senior Vice President and Director of CRA and Community Affairs. Ms. Couser joined Mutual of Omaha Bank in May 2013 and leads the Bank’s CRA efforts and has built the strategic framework for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) community development lending, investment, and service programs of a bank with over $8 billion in assets serving a 9-state footprint. She has over twenty eight years of experience in community, real estate and economic development. Ms. Couser is also an accomplished Community Development and Mortgage professional with a proven track record in multi-cultural production. She previously served on the Executive Board for the Asian Real Estate Association of American (AREAA) and currently serves as Policy/National Liaison Chair of AREAA and the Board of Directors for Merchant Money Company, CDFI and Alma G. Davis Foundation. She also serves on Operation Hope’s “Hope Inside National Advisory Board”.

Lafayette GeorgeUTR Sports Media

Lafayette George is a Managing Director of a large Institutional/Retail Investment Firm. Mr. George has immersed himself into the financial services industry across various products, manager structures, account types, clients, and custodians. He has specific experience in long/short equities, options, and fixed-income for various managers, including a hedge fund, traditional asset manager, and a sell side Institutional firm. He has had overall responsibility for the strategic direction of many of the firm’s businesses throughout his 14-year career. Additionally, he is also on the Board of Directors for various not-for-profit educational and community service based organizations. These organizations provide a range of academic, personal enrichment and mentoring services to under priveleged students from high school through college and throughout their careers.

Byron JohnsonCognizant

Byron, A certified Master Blackbelt (DMAIC, DFSS and Lean) , has held a number of Executive positions in multiple industries, including defense, transportation, energy, finance, insurance, healthcare, pharma, and manufacturing over the past seventeen years. He is currently a Managing Sr. Consultant at Cognizant Technological Solutions (CTS), a multinational information technology, consulting, robotics and business process Optimization Company. Byron prides himself on the volunteering with his fraternity, church and many other civic organizations and takes every opportunity to positively affect the lives of those he comes into contact with. He is married to the former Geneva M. Ware and they have four children.

Gavin McGuireAndrew & Walter Young Family YMCA

Gavin McGuire is the Branch Executive Director of the Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA. Gavin has 20 years of experience in nonprofit and organizational management and development including five years as the Associate Director of the Young Family YMCA. He has also held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Usher’s New Look where he oversaw the organization’s day-to-day operations and under his leadership, the organization certified over 43,000 youth both nationally and internationally in the organization’s four pillars of Talent, Education, Career and Service. Prior to Usher’s New Look, Gavin worked with Future Foundation in East Point, Ga., helping to secure local and state funding to launch various STEM, physical fitness, college readiness and career pathways programs for over 750 middle and high school students in South Fulton County. In addition to a proven track record of capacity building and creating measurable impact for the Y and other institutions, Gavin is skilled in the areas of organizational management and growing and managing human capital. Gavin and his wife Tracy live in Jonesboro with their three children.

Bobby Van BurenAmerican Family Insurance

With a background steep in sales, Bobby Van Buren considers himself an educator, mentor and Protector of Dreams. Raised in the Midwest, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Kansas State University. He honed his professional sales skills in the IT industry working with Fortune 100 companies across the US on how to utilize technology to manage, grow and protect their businesses. Currently, as the owner and operator of Van Buren Insurance Agency, Inc., (An American Family Insurance Agency in Marietta, GA) Bobby is a mentor and council representative to multiple agents and agencies in the Atlanta area. He currently holds multiple insurance licenses including: Property & Casualty, Life & Health, Variable and Series 6 & 63.

The Facts

1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men (aged 18+) in the U.S. has experienced domestic violence in their lifetime.

Every year an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of domestic violence.

Even more alarming is the fact that every 9 seconds a woman in the US is assaulted or beaten.

Domestic violence and child abuse run hand in hand. Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

1.5 million high school students nationwide experience dating partner violence annually.